Experience

[jiggyfly]

May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love... that you may really come to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience. (Ephesians 3:17,19 AMP)

The Holy Spirit, with all that the gift of the Spirit means of enduement and endowment and instruction and strengthening, is not a substitute for experience. We are very often found asking that certain things shall be done for us by the Holy Spirit which the Holy Spirit will never do. He has to lead us into experience. It is the only way in which He can answer our prayers. Many prayers are answered through experience. You ask the Lord to do something, and He takes you through experience, and you arrive at the answer in that way. You had not meant that, of course: you wanted the Lord to do the thing there and then as a gift, as an act; but that would have been merely objective, something given, whereas He wants to make it a part of yourself, and so He answers prayer by some experience. "Steadfastness worketh experience," and if there is no experience, what is the good of anybody or anything?

So then, experience is of greater importance than being delivered from tribulation. "Tribulation worketh experience." Oh, how often we have asked the Lord why He allowed this and that, or why He did not do this or that. Why did He not hinder Adam from sinning? Why has He not stopped the world in so many things that have had most terrible results? Experience is very largely the answer. Experience is very important because, after all, it is the very quality of service. When we come to real life, and we are really up against things and the issues are of the greatest consequence, we do not want just information, we want experience, and we go where experience can help us. Is that not so? Thus experience is the very body and quality of service and usefulness to the Lord.

By T. Austin-Sparks from: The Importance and Value of Experience

 

[Peace Seeker]

May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love... that you may really come to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience. (Ephesians 3:17,19 AMP)

The Holy Spirit, with all that the gift of the Spirit means of enduement and endowment and instruction and strengthening, is not a substitute for experience. We are very often found asking that certain things shall be done for us by the Holy Spirit which the Holy Spirit will never do. He has to lead us into experience. It is the only way in which He can answer our prayers. Many prayers are answered through experience. You ask the Lord to do something, and He takes you through experience, and you arrive at the answer in that way. You had not meant that, of course: you wanted the Lord to do the thing there and then as a gift, as an act; but that would have been merely objective, something given, whereas He wants to make it a part of yourself, and so He answers prayer by some experience. "Steadfastness worketh experience," and if there is no experience, what is the good of anybody or anything?

So then, experience is of greater importance than being delivered from tribulation. "Tribulation worketh experience." Oh, how often we have asked the Lord why He allowed this and that, or why He did not do this or that. Why did He not hinder Adam from sinning? Why has He not stopped the world in so many things that have had most terrible results? Experience is very largely the answer. Experience is very important because, after all, it is the very quality of service. When we come to real life, and we are really up against things and the issues are of the greatest consequence, we do not want just information, we want experience, and we go where experience can help us. Is that not so? Thus experience is the very body and quality of service and usefulness to the Lord.

By T. Austin-Sparks from: The Importance and Value of Experience

Thank you for sharing this message, it really resonated with me. I've been contemplating the whole armor of God a lot lately, and this message is timely.

When I'm spiritually tested and tempted I gain valuable experience (and spiritual growth) when I use the whole armor of God. In Eph 6 it is stressed to us that we stand our ground. It doesn't say "hide behind God and He will do everything for you" (even though He ultimately is our high tower, our refuge, our protector, our strength, our deliverer, etc.). He wants us to experience things.

So just having the armor but not wearing it or going into battle with it, gains little. When I overcome trials I experience the love of Christ.

I think experience also enables us to be hearers and doers of God's word, which is what the Lord wants us to do. We need information (hearing) and experience (doing), which makes us good stewards of the things given and entrusted to us by God.

Of course, your post is applicable to many areas of our lives, but I just used my personal example. God bless!